Just say no to edible non-food

One of my biggest annoyances in this society is the lack of critical thinking. I mean if you stop someone on the street and ask, "why do you do this?" I'm going with 9 times out of 10 you will hear back, "I don't know, I just do". Let's change the question… "why you do eat that", "where does your food come from?". Are the answers, "because it tastes good" or "I don't know" acceptable to you? Not to me, first and foremost we have to understand that the purpose of food is to give our bodies energy to survive. That said, I am by no means suggesting that social eating and enjoyment should be banished. But, how did it become less of a celebration and special occasion type thing to indulge in tasty morsels and more of an inherent right of daily life? Does the fact that mega corporations and the food industry have noticed this fact and done everything in their power to make sure you are coming back for more of their products. I heard a piece on National Public Radio once about the edible non-food phenomenon. I mean, what exactly is that yellow powdery stuff inside the macaroni and cheese box? Just because Kraft says that it is edible means that it is food… and not just food, but the primary source of energy in a child's lunch?

~ All right, it's hard. First things first, you have to change your attitude about food. You have to change the fact that you have no idea WHAT is going into your body: WHERE it came from and what it is made out of. You can help yourself by becoming informed. At least then if you still want to eat a chocolate donut (like I occasionally do) then by all means do so with full knowledge and responsibility. Here are some books to try on for size: What Would Jesus Eat by Don Culbert M.D. and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Micheal Pollan

~ Second of all, learn how to cook again. I don't mean this dump in ingredients type cooking. Cook something you can be proud of, cook something that didn't start out in a box with 3 easy directions. Trust me it's hard, trust me it's fun and trust me again when I say, it's addicting… pretty soon you'll be making your own tortillas before you even start to assemble the burritos. (which reminds me I outta make that my next post).

~ Third of all, become a recipe researcher. Learn how to find recipes using the ingredients that are healthy, if you don't particularly like lentils how about a lentil burger patty with tons of other ingredients hidden away in a pita pocket with your favorite toppings on it (recipe coming soon). Hit your local library, check online, ask your friends, make something up… just get in there and start getting dirty! I'm sure I have much more to say but that can save for another day ;)